![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
canyonwalkerWe arrived at the trailhead for Rancheria Falls Saturday morning around 9:45am and were hiking by 10. Nominally the hike was an easy one; just 1.6 miles round trip and with an elevation gain of about 200'. On top of that, the trail was in good condition— wide and clear. It is designated a National Recreation Trail, so that's unsurprising. What was surprising, momentarily, was how hard I labored going up the trail.
"Oh, right," I thought to myself after a moment, "I'm at 7,600' elevation. Almost a mile and a half above sea level!" I walked at a slower pace for my poor, oxygen starved blood cells and muscles and didn't begrudge them a few rest breaks on the way up the hill.
Fortunately the trail is pretty easy, the rarefied air notwithstanding. After about 20 minutes of walking an incredible waterfalls came into view as we rounded a bend.
Rancheria Falls drops at least 80' in three quick tiers followed by more than 150' of smaller drops and cascades lower down in the canyon. The photo above doesn't even show all of it!
Fortunately the trail doesn't stop here at this viewpoint. And actually this viewpoint is a bit off the trail. 😅 We scrambled down to some rocks to get a better, unobstructed view of the falls. The trail goes to a spot near the bottom of the big part of the falls. From there a few use trails scramble a bit higher.
There were only maybe 6-8 people on the trail at this time. Most of them were out here, sunning themselves on rocks or sitting down for a rest. Not that I blame them! We picked spots so as not to crowd people enjoying the falls.
We spent a while scrambling over and sitting atop various rocks here next to the upper tier of Rancheria Falls. The whole time we were pleased at how big full the falls is. ...Actually pleased is a weaksauce word. We were astonished at how big and full the falls is! Astonished at the size, because somehow this falls had never been on our radar until 36 hours earlier. And astonished at the fullness this late in the season. As we started the trail I was worried that we'd come all this way just to see it reduced to a trickle.
BTW, "36 hours earlier" is not an exaggeration. All week long Hawk and I were saying to each other, "Let's do a Friday Night Halfway trip and get up into the mountains on Saturday." Then we putting off planning several nights in a row. Late Thursday evening, my eyes tired and knowing I'd rather go to sleep, I sat down with a few hiking guides to find something because I figured it was "now or never". I narrowed my search to an area I thought could be promising and... *boom!*... in the area next to it 😅 this hike practically leapt off the page. Now, 36 hours later, here we are.
In beauty I walk.
Update: "Road Closed" won't keep us from Dinkey Creek Falls!
"Oh, right," I thought to myself after a moment, "I'm at 7,600' elevation. Almost a mile and a half above sea level!" I walked at a slower pace for my poor, oxygen starved blood cells and muscles and didn't begrudge them a few rest breaks on the way up the hill.
Fortunately the trail is pretty easy, the rarefied air notwithstanding. After about 20 minutes of walking an incredible waterfalls came into view as we rounded a bend.
Rancheria Falls drops at least 80' in three quick tiers followed by more than 150' of smaller drops and cascades lower down in the canyon. The photo above doesn't even show all of it!
Fortunately the trail doesn't stop here at this viewpoint. And actually this viewpoint is a bit off the trail. 😅 We scrambled down to some rocks to get a better, unobstructed view of the falls. The trail goes to a spot near the bottom of the big part of the falls. From there a few use trails scramble a bit higher.
There were only maybe 6-8 people on the trail at this time. Most of them were out here, sunning themselves on rocks or sitting down for a rest. Not that I blame them! We picked spots so as not to crowd people enjoying the falls.
We spent a while scrambling over and sitting atop various rocks here next to the upper tier of Rancheria Falls. The whole time we were pleased at how big full the falls is. ...Actually pleased is a weaksauce word. We were astonished at how big and full the falls is! Astonished at the size, because somehow this falls had never been on our radar until 36 hours earlier. And astonished at the fullness this late in the season. As we started the trail I was worried that we'd come all this way just to see it reduced to a trickle.
BTW, "36 hours earlier" is not an exaggeration. All week long Hawk and I were saying to each other, "Let's do a Friday Night Halfway trip and get up into the mountains on Saturday." Then we putting off planning several nights in a row. Late Thursday evening, my eyes tired and knowing I'd rather go to sleep, I sat down with a few hiking guides to find something because I figured it was "now or never". I narrowed my search to an area I thought could be promising and... *boom!*... in the area next to it 😅 this hike practically leapt off the page. Now, 36 hours later, here we are.
In beauty I walk.
Update: "Road Closed" won't keep us from Dinkey Creek Falls!
no subject
Date: 2023-08-29 11:38 pm (UTC)it's been ages since i've been at altitude, i'd probably get hammered xD